Those of us who understand what an attribute Brent was as a vocalist and keyoard player can hear why this show is so hot. I find Loser, Scarlet and Estimated to especially inspired.
I say don`t confuse tight playing with uninspired playing. It is same with much of the Europe 72 archive: the playing is so tight and, as well, the European environment/audience didn`t radiate the same energy, but those shows are considered pinnacle shows.
Bob Weir and Jerry are both on record for saying that post 87 (I`d say 87-90/91) was truly inspired.
In 87, Jerry saw the birth of one of his daughters, a hit record, toured with Dylan and apparently backed off hard drugs. You do the math.

Furthermore and beside the point, I like 69, 70, 72-74, 77, 80 and 87-91 with an open mind to every year and recording by GD, Further, Other ones, Phil and Friends, Weir, et al. I think in the future the overall picture from 1965 to 2025 will be remarkable for its overall DEPTH and INFLUENCE. I know what it is like to get older and not be in the same zone as myself as a younger person, but the best way to stay in the game is to keep an open mind to the PRESENT. I love how in 2015 the remaining members are embracing the next generation of muscians. How many other bands are progressive enough to stream in live shows with a range of talent, rather than resting on their laurels.
Imagine JImmy Page or Keith Richards embracing a similar format to Weir`s TRI, just playing music with random musicians-just for the sake of jamming. On and on...

A druggy, boring, sloppy, indifferent show that sounds as though it was phoned in from five towns over. It doesn't help either that the guitars are too low in the mix, but this show is as sluggish as I remembered it. BTW the version of Black Throated Wind is the ugly girl at the party if compared to any version done in '74 or before. In other words it is quite possibly the worst version I've ever heard, certainly the sloppiest. Bird Song is ok, but really sluggish as is everything else in this listless show. Scarlet Begonias is on auto pilot and the less said about the aimless Estimated Prophet the better. It completely falls apart at the end and not in a good meltdown way. Following the subpar Other One, what little energy generated is stomped out by the SLOWEST version of Stella Blue I've ever heard. Garcia wheezes out the lyrics as though either gasping for air or struggling to stay awake. Hats off to the drummers, I didn't know it was possible to play drums to so slow a tempo. Just before the Sunshine Daydream section Sugar Magnolia falls apart as one by one the band members stop playing in a completely disorganized way. To those who said this show rocks, we have very different ideas as to what "rocks" means. These guys sound like they'd rather be anywhere else but playing on stage in Landover Maryland. The whole band sound bored, disinterested, tired and completely unfocused. There is no oomph to this show whatsoever. It's like a can of warm, flat soda. I'm done with this, see you in '74.

And you know what's really weird? I love the previous night.

Its really interesting to read everyone's reviews and see how some people love a song and how other people hate it. This is what I like: I loved Blow Away to end the first set, Brent really gives it his all. Scarlet into Estimated is good. The Jam after Women are Smarter is really interesting, they end Smarter, and than after a few seconds seem to decide that they want to jam on it a little more and then pick it back up for another few minutes.

The drums/space is good, but The Other One absolutely drags. It seems like they don't even want to play it. They switch quickly (too quickly) to Stella, which is slow, but has a lot of energy building in it. The show ends on a high not with Sugar Megs and The Last Time. Just check out Brent wailing on the keyboard about half way through Sugar Megs.

At the risk of adding to negativity sounds like to me that Darrylizer should have hung it up after "74...as life past that point no longer could suprise. My 1st show was in '74 and no they were not the same in 1990...or should they have been...that was always the idea.This show like the whole period between 1986 and 1990 is a perfect example of just how much Brent meant to the band....and really to Jerry...he was that place you could dig down deep and find that spark. He will never get the praise he should...not sitting in the shadow he was in.

The Jam after Man Smart is worth a good listen...different

It's hard to believe that this show took place 21 years ago today. This was the only show I could get tickets for. I remember being disappointed because I couldn't see Phil on his birthday. After hearing this show again I no longer feel disappointed. I totally forgot about the jam after Man Smart Woman Smarter & the "new" BTW & Blow Away really did blw me away.A five star all the way. Give it a listen your ears will thank you.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

i was at the shows on the 14th and 16th. missed phils bday on the thursday show. i don't know if it was the band or the "L" but what ever it was it was a night i have never forgotten and don't think i ever will. I don't think my feet touched the ground that night. Except during Stell blue. i could only listen in absolute awe and look down at jerry on the stage bathed in the blue light as he sang. my soul was complete at that moment as it never was before. now I knew what it was all about. Thanks guys.

Its really crazy to see this effort from them. The Captial run had two great jams on nights two and three. Night two has been aptly named the "mock turtle jam" from the terrapin station release, and tonight has been marked by some tapers as "women are smarter jam" or "eyes of the world jam". Honestly i think its somewhere in between. Its just great to see that energy and effort this late in their career.

The first few lines of LTGR tell you this is gonna be a good one. Not everything is perfect but most of it is very solid. Better than usual first set, especially the BTW closer.

This show is nothing like what this cat says. It is a very good solid performance. He says that this show is phoned in and I have to say that he is mistaken. First off... they dont open with "let the good times roll" on phone in nights. Second... I doubt Bobby decided to break out " black throated" on a phone in night. I also doubt that Brent tore into that "blow away" like that on a phone in night. To top it all off.... in 1990 if Phil didnt want to sing then he just didnt... there was no such thing as a phoned in "box of rain".
There is lots of energy crackling all through this show. The first set is blazing with Jerry sounding strong and lots of emotion from Bobby.
Yes the "stella blue" is extremely slow, but that doesnt mean that Jerry isnt into it. It just means that it is a slower version. Plenty of feeling and from the crowd reaction, nobody seemed to mind. And yes the "sugar mag" ending before sunshine daydream is a sloppy stop, but they were ripping up till that point. That happens sometimes when you work without a net... half the people stop and half the people keep going. This happens fairly often in songs like lovelight and promised land and deal. Just the nature of the beast. They nail it just fine after the sunshine daydream anyway. A great show. Enjoy it.

This show turned me in Grateful Dead Fan!

My First show, and with a set list like this, (Chill bumps & I have Blown away on now) Awesome!

My friend tried to convince me to go for years, and I never really got any value out of the bootleg tapes as it was hard to follow 4th-5th Gen.

When I went to this show (Seats behind the Band/Stage) I finally understood what Space & Drums was all about when I could follow (See) the band for a few seconds before they disappeared into the Black Tent Backstage.

Blown Away made me a fan!! And yes I was blown away!! (More Chill as I listen to Jerry on Scarlet Begonias) This is how I remeber the show - Nice & Clean!

If you look at Photos from W/O a Net, you will see Jerry playing Rosebud during the Mardi gras parade from 2/27/90. Therefore, she arrived in Oakland, and was on board for years to come.

The pre-drumz segment is really spectacular. Not so much rocking as it is patient and meditative. The segues are unusual and unexpected. They really take a different approach here, with the kaleidescope jamming in full effect.

I went to all these shows - 3/14,15 & 16th. The Grateful Dead was in perfect form and the 3rd night really showed what the Dead were capable at the time. Brent really lead the 'pack' to an unbelievable run. The 3rd night was a set or two away from the Dead at their absolute best for the period ('89-'90) before his passing. Just liten to 'Birdsong' one more time - I think you will understand :-) By the way - why was it 80 degrees for 3 days in DC in March? Enjoy this one and the entire Cap Ctr shows!

This was the first time it was played since '74 and Bobby sings an alternate lyric. "The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics" says: "It was played fairly regularly up until 1974, then dropped from the repertoire until March 16, 1990. It remained something of a concert rarity, as Weir and Barlow experimented with a new set of words for awhile, eventually returning to the original lyrics. The alternate lyrics were published in full in Golden Road, Summer 1990, p. 31."

The first thing is this show rocks and it seems they are all on.The second is THEY DIDNT PLAY BOX OF RAIN AT THE END.The encore was "The Last Time".The third thing is that the list says they played El Paso which is wrong to It should be Peggy-O.This is the fourth and final thing I will bring up,Space is played after the drums its not considered a Jam and It should go a little further but who ever split the show messed up and it gos into The Other One which is fine but the 2nd jam should be called space and then split further into The Other One.It messes me up when I download the shows cuz I think I messed up some how and then I have to go and look at it and the connect them and then split it when it should be.I also dont like it when there are songs that are not suppose to be here cuz then I have to go and look for the show and info other places like here http://www.deadlists.com
this will tell you every show they played and song for song.

There are no bad grateful dead shows only grat ones!!!(Sorry Siskel& Ebert reviewers!)Hint:click play,turn up volume,close your eyes and send out love, not negative criticism on Garcia.

Peace Out

great run. Top notch sets. Scarlet>estimated works. Also hints of the Matilda jam after WAS. Good stuff

What a Run! Just have to say this is the best Blow Away version in terms of band accompanymen, but definately not Brent's best version. The MECCA 89 show's solo has a lot more balls than any others I know. But wow, just check out how the band really helps Brent out on this version. Jerry's vocals not only are solid but his spacey Dark Star guitar mod that he pulled out earlier at the end of B.T. Wind shows up again during Brent's solo-ending here. Top Notch.

The previous night 1990-03-15 was released as a Limited Edition "Tarrapin Station" release. It was Phil's 50th birthday. I'm surprised that it would not be available since it was only a limited release and I can't seem to find it in order to purchase. What the hell is GDM/GDP thinking. I want to spend my money on this. Bobby, if you read this please take note.

DMilks--- I am not 100% sure, but I do think he might have even been playing the Wolf. I know he did for all of Fall 89, and I know he was playing her at Brent's last show In Ill.

Anyway, great show, great energy by all band members, especially Brent and Jer.

Funny how the extended version of Blow Away is nowhere near as bad as it seemed back then, but those "new" Black Throated WInd lyrics still are!! Sorry Bob. I enjoyed the moment though. This is a really good show, solid 2nd set!! Don't believe this is a matrix though, just an extremely excitable crowd.

This is sick. I agree with anything positive said about this show & this run. Spring '90 was incredible, the boys were at a peAk. Check out 3:13 into the jam out of Women are Smarter...Eyes of the World makes an entrance into the stadium; at 3:38 an appearance is almost officially made for approximately 2 - 3 bars. Jerry rips it, the crowd reacts. Goes nuts. Very fun flash of brilliance, excellent matrix source to exemplify the moment. Everything encompassing is icing.

Can't back Spring Tour '90 enough; majority of an album coming out of it proves it's worth.

As previously mentioned, this whole Cap Center run is just legendary dead. It takes me back hearing that crowd light up with pure joy. For all it's worth, these were 5 star shows, a very strong 5 stars. Unfortunatley minor glitches on the recording keep it from an overall 5, hence the 4 star rating.

The lyrical re-write on the BTW bust-out is awesome. Blow Away is just amazing.

P.S.-Does anybody know if Jerry had Rosebud at this point or was he still playing the Tiger? I know he got Rosebud in 1990, but don't know if it was this tour or summer 90. Just curious.

Now that's a show. It had it all.

DL now,

DOYOUWANNAKNOWREALLOVE!!!!!

Epic Mydland

BTW, Last Time, Blow Away!!!!, many others, what are you waiting for?

If only......

After two hot nights with Loose Lucy, Easy to Love You, and Revolution surprises, Black Throated Wind was a great song to bring back. Bobby sang it beautifully. Blow Away was the other highlight of the night. Overall and excellent show.

BTW - my favorite Bob Tune,
The epic Blow Away and the Reprise that basically brought the Cap Centre to its knees. I mean every one thought it was halftime and went for the facilities, only to hear him bring it back little by little, and sure enough there was this frantic run to go back in, and the whole band came back out and lit it up big time.
Last Time - I thought for sure that it had the double meaning, but I was overeacting just a little. Total GD overload. Its too bad this copy has warts. I will still D/L it because I lost my 2nd gen analog several years ago. I loved every minute of it. 5 star show, 3 for the copy.

Blow Away has a 2 sec. drop out, that's it. DL this show you wont be sorry. Crisp sbd. Crowd goes wild during BT Wind break out, gives the show the feel of an aud source, matrix?

If you love the spring & summer '90 shows, this is for you

This show was amazing...Killer energy from all the boys...The 14th,15th,&16th of 90 should go down in the dead folklore for sure...God Bless the Band!

Black Thoated Wind Break Out !!!
Way phat just hear that crowd.
Wow what a rush

make sure you read the text file before downloading.

while it's a nice recording with a couple of glitches, the "blow away" set closer is completely trashed.

** download at your own risk **

here's to hoping a clean upgrade materializes.